Theatrical Lighting in Ancient Greece

Lighting in ancient Greece was lit by daylight and the dramas were frequently designed to take advantage of the position of the sun. There were sites specifically placed to gain the best effects of the natural light. Most plays could begin in the morning and last until the evening, so there was no need for artificial lights. The history of Greek lighting would then evolve to use mirrors with the sun’s light to alter the lighting for their plays. If they wanted to establish any type of moods then there would be an intermission until the time of day.

Parabolic mirrors were also used in helping to reflect moon light for performances in the evening.

The 15th century invented oil lamps. These lamps were mounted in crude hoops or chandeliers, which were hoisted aloft on pulleys to hang in dripping splendour. It was Sabastiano Serlio who then added ‘colored liquid’ to the oil lamps in 1545, introducing color and more variety to stage lighting. The 16th and17th centuries introduced dimming of candles by using metal cylinders lowered onto them. The twisted wicks had to be constantly trimmed during the performance.

Chandeliers with candles where used in several places on the stage for illumination, this distribution or placement of the candle light chandeliers allowed for more dramatic lighting This process was a manual process and took a lot of stage heads to make this possible. This would affect the audience by not being able to see at night, or the weather could affect the audience(it being too cold or hot). It was in the middle of the 18th century when the kerosene lamp with a wick was the biggest improvement to the oil lamp. Near the end of the 18th century, the Scottish engineer William Murdock developed a practical method to distill gas from coal for illumination. For the first time, to add to the realism of the play, the auditorium lights could be darkened. Elaborate central control systems were devised. It affected the audience by heat, offensive vapors, and the serious fire hazard of the open flame.

Protective The sharpness produced by the small point source made possible the creation of realistic effects, such as sunlight and moonlight, and moving effects, such as clouds, water, and fire. The sharpness produced by the small point source made possible the creation of realistic effects, such as sunlight and moonlight, and moving effects, such as clouds, water, and fire. codes were soon established that necessitated the use of guards, screens, and glass chimneys. It was not until 1880 when a true electrical system was introduced by Edison.

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